Georgia Magazine - July 2020 - 26

Around GEORGIA

You don't have to live near the coast to enjoy a day at the beach.
Georgia's lakes offer a multitude of sandy shores. Here are just a few
of them.

Acworth Beach, Cauble Park, Acworth

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
/ RALPH DANIEL

Acworth Beach in Cauble Park is among many Cobb County
beach destinations that draw thousands each summer.
Lake Acworth activities include kayaking, canoeing, stand-up
paddleboarding, fishing and non-motorized boating. Park visitors
also enjoy hiking trails, playgrounds and picnic areas.
Acworth Beach and its bathhouse were constructed in the early
1950s, largely to boost the city's economy. They were added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Other beaches in Acworth are at Dallas Landing Park, Proctor
Landing Park and South Shore Park. acworthtourism.org.

Acworth Beach
in Cauble
Park is open
from dawn to
dusk.

construction of Buford
Dam. The dam's purpose
was to control flooding of the
Chattahoochee River and to provide hydroelectricity and water to
the city of Atlanta. When the lake was built, homes and farms were
covered with water; these ruins now lie at the lake's bottom.
During the drought of 2007, waters dropped low enough to reveal
the grandstands of the old Looper Speedway near Laurel Park.
Today, Rainey says, "Lake Lanier receives over 11 million visits
annually." lakelanier.com.

ACWORTH TOURISM BUREAU AUTHORITY

The allure of inland beaches

Callaway Resort & Gardens' Robin Lake Beach,
Pine Mountain

Lake Sidney Lanier beaches
Beach lovers looking for a place to swim at Lake Sidney Lanier
have myriad choices.
"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE] operates 18 beaches
at Lake Sidney Lanier," including Lanier Park Beach in Buford, says
Timothy Rainey, operations project manager with Lake Sidney Lanier
USACE. "There are many other beaches around the lake operated by
the state or local cities and counties," he says, such as the beaches
at Mary Alice Park near Cumming and Lake Lanier Olympic Park in
Gainesville.
Lanier Park Beach offers picnic tables, grills, a boat ramp and
a walking trail. The beach at Mary Alice Park has picnic tables, grills,
a pavilion, boat ramps and two boat docks. Lake Lanier Olympic
Park, which hosted the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games rowing and
canoe/kayak competitions, offers a sandy beach, a picnic park and a
butterfly garden.
Lake Lanier was created in 1956 when the USACE completed

26

Georgia Magazine

24-27_Around_GA_0720.indd 26

GEORGIA STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES

Above: Visitors enjoy tubing on Robin Lake at
Callaway Resort & Gardens in Pine Mountain.
Right: The beach at Reed Bingham State Park
in Adel is a great place for family activities.

The idea for a garden that would connect people with nature
took hold when Cason J. Callaway discovered a rare azalea in 1930.
Today, Callaway Resort & Gardens in Pine
Mountain is a 2,500-acre garden and resort
that offers walking and biking trails, worldclass golf, the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center
and Robin Lake Beach on the 65-acre
Robin Lake.
Since 1961, Callaway has been the
summer home of the Florida State University
Flying High Circus. Each year, the circus performs under a big top near the beach. Circus
performers also participate in the Summer
Family Adventure program that includes
water skiing, golf, tennis, laser tag and Aqua Island, a floating
playground of inflatable challenges. callawaygardens.com.

Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
Families can spend the day at a lakeside beach at many state
parks throughout Georgia. These include Don Carter State Park in
Gainesville, George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge in Fort Gaines, Fort
Yargo State Park in Winder and Reed Bingham State Park in Adel.
Each state park has a unique history. For example, Reed
Bingham State Park began in the 1930s when Amos Reed Bingham
came up with the idea of building a power-generating dam on the
Little River to bring electricity to the area.
When engineers determined the dam could not provide
sufficient water flow to generate electricity, Bingham redirected his
energies into campaigning for a dam that would create a recreational
lake for area residents. It took years, but in 1965, Bingham's dream
was realized when the dam was finally built. gastateparks.org.

July 2020

6/12/20 1:16 AM
http://www.acworthtourism.org http://www.lakelanier.com http://www.callawaygardens.com http://www.gastateparks.org
Georgia Magazine - July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2020
